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Mike Scroggins wins first career major at USBC Masters

PBA National Tour #4

AMF Bowlero Lanes Milwaukee, WI (Nov. 14-20, 2005)

Mike Scroggins notched the biggest win of his career, defeating 22-time PBA Tour winner Norm Duke, 245-238, in the title match of the 2005 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters Sunday at U.S. Cellular Arena.

Scroggins, who earned the $100,000 top prize and a two-season Denny's PBA Tour exemption, got off to a strong start in the title match, striking in frames 2-8. He left a 7-10 split in the 9th frame, however, which let Duke back in the game.

Duke, looking for his third career major title, struck on five straight shots, including a double in the 10th, forcing Scroggins to mark. The left-hander responded by converting the 6-pin in the 10th to clinch his first career major win on Tour.

"Sometimes it's harder to get a mark (in the 10th) rather than having to strike on your first shot," said Scroggins. "Sometimes you get up there and get tentative…you need throw an aggressive shot."

Picture courtesy of PBA LLC/Zuzga.

Duke, who entered the day as the top seed and lone right-hander in the stepladder finals, had averaged 240.66 in 36 previous title match appearances.

Scroggins advanced to the title match by defeating Art Brown in the semifinal, 240-202. Scroggins was down early but capitalized on Brown's open 6th frame by striking on his final six shots.

Brown defeated Ken Muscato, 201-180 in the day's opening match. Brown managed a clean game while Muscato opened twice in the match. Duke earned $50,000 for his 2nd place finish while Brown earned $25,000 for 3rd and Muscato won $15,000 for 4th.

This is Scroggins' third career Denny's PBA Tour title and his first career Major victory. The photo shows Mike Scroggins holding the Frank K. Baker trophy. Picture courtesy of USBC Communications.

Norm Duke earns top seed for USBC Masters finals

Norm Duke darted across 10 lanes, his fists in the air and his face turning bright red. The Denny's PBA Tour superstar had just converted the 6-7 split to defeat amateur Art Brown of Lansing, Mich., to win the top seed at the United States Bowling Congress Masters. Or so he thought.

Needing just seven pins to secure a one-pin victory, Duke threw the ball straight up the lane, through the nose and left the 4-6-7-10 split. But half a second later, the 10 fell out giving Duke the top seed for Sunday's ESPN-televised finals with a 722-721 victory at AMF Bowlero Lanes in suburban Milwaukee.

"My intent was to leave the big four because you just can't do that," said Duke, who hails from Clermont, Fla. "You'll miss one way or the other and get nine every time, but I just pured it. I thought there is no way, now we are going to have to bowl another shot. Then the thing fell over like that."

The victory capped off an amazing run for the 1993 Masters champion. Duke, a PBA and USBC Hall of Famer, won six consecutive three-game matches in a left-handed dominated final field to earn the top seed.

Joining Duke on Sunday's telecast at U.S. Cellular Arena are three lefties - Brown, Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, and amateur Ken Muscato of Canadaigua, N.Y.

After his victory Friday, Duke said he is certain Brown will be a factor in Sunday's stepladder finals. "The last thing he said to me was 'I will see you tomorrow," said Duke, who has 22 career PBA titles. "I could see the confidence in his eyes and the desire to have a rematch. Sometimes that is even more powerful than the motivation to win."

If Brown is to challenge Duke for the title, he'll have to win three matches Sunday. After falling to Duke, Brown suffered another heartbreaking defeat to Scroggins in a match to determine who would be the second and third seeds.

Brown threw a clutch strike on the first ball in the 10th and needing just six on the second shot and a spare, he left a 4-6-7-8-10 split, also known as the Greek Church. He picked up three to lose 708-705.

"He basically had me shut out," Scroggins said. "I'm more shocked than anyone that he Greek Churched. It's just one of those things." In the opening match Sunday, Brown will take on Muscato. The winner bowls Scroggins for the right to take on Duke for the Frank K. Baker trophy and the $100,000 first-place prize.

Duke was one of the few players in the field who was able to take care of left-handers. He faced lefties in four consecutive matches to close out match play, defeating Parker Bohn III, Dennis Horan Jr., Scroggins and Brown.

"I thought I was in trouble each of the last four matches because they were four of the greatest lefties and all bowling really good," Duke said. "I took solace in the fact that no one would be throwing a shot on my side of the lane. If I could get dialed in, there is no one playing there messing up my shot.

"I knew that I was not the favorite in any of those matches, hence the reason I played a little better than I am supposed to," he said. "I really did career it today. I've been bowling very good but this week I really stepped it up."

The USBC Masters is the sport's most prestigious event, drawing nearly 500 of the world's best professional and amateur bowlers who are competing for an estimated prize fund of $350,000.

Rolloffs for first through fourth seed for the stepladder finalsDouble elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall

Amateur Art Brown continues run at USBC Masters

There was a time when Art Brown of Lansing, Mich., had some trepidation when facing some of the best bowlers in the world. Now, he's plowing through the field at the United States Bowling Congress Masters.

Brown is one of six amateurs still alive in match play after the field was cut to 24 at AMF Bowlero Lanes in suburban Milwaukee on Thursday night. He joins Robert Worrall of Prescott, Ariz., as the lone amateurs in the winners bracket.

"This is the fourth time I've bowled the Masters and the second time I've made match play," Brown said. "I'm not as awestruck as I was the first time I went up against these guys, but it's still a thrill to bowl against the best in the world for sure."

In his final match of the night, Brown sent fellow amateur left-hander Ken Muscato of Canadaigua, N.Y., to the losers bracket with a 707-586 victory. He topped professionals Ronnie Russell of Indianapolis and Michael Haugen Jr. of Las Vegas in the opening matches.

"I've got a lot of confidence right now," Brown said. "After winning my last match against Ken Muscato, I feel like nobody can stop me. I've got a lot of respect for Ken, and I honestly think he's the best lefty amateur in the country. To beat him is a real boost to my confidence. I'm on a high right now, and I'll try to ride it the rest of the week."

Defending champion Wiseman falls at USBC Masters

Only two bowlers in the 56-year history of the United States Bowling Congress Masters have successfully defended their titles. The feat hasn't been accomplished since Billy Welu did it in 1965, and it's not going to happen this year.

Despite averaging 239.67 for 12 games Thursday at AMF Bowlero Lanes in suburban Milwaukee, defending champion Danny Wiseman of Baltimore was knocked out of the double-elimination bracket with a 655-650 loss to Christopher Sand of Chesterfield, Mich.

Sand, who finished third in the 1998 Masters, needed two strikes in the final frame of the three-game match to erase a 17-pin deficit and slip past Wiseman. Sand delivered three clutch strikes and advances to meet Brad Angelo, who fell to qualifying leader Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, in the third round of the winners' bracket.

"Since I'm not out on tour anymore, I haven't been bowling much," said Sand, who is a salesman for Roto Grip and Turbo 2-n-1. "But it's always nice to be in that situation and make the shots when you need them."

After losing to Adam Barta of Girard, Ohio, in the opening round, Sand topped Derek Eoff of Greenfield, Wis., and then avenged his first-round loss with a win over Barta to set up his meeting with Wiseman.

Wiseman, who was automatically seeded into the 32nd spot in the bracket, was matched up against 40-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist and 2004 (January) Masters champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., in the opening round.

Needing a double in the final frame of his three-game match against Williams Jr., Wiseman struck on his first shot, but left a 10-pin on his second attempt, falling 788-782. Wiseman entered the final game of the match with a 24-pin lead, but Williams struck on his first 10 shots to erase the deficit and put the pressure on Wiseman.

"I knew my match with Walter Ray was going to be a tough one, and since we were playing the same part of the lane, I knew they would open up for us," said Wiseman, an 11-time titlist. "I'd rather lose to Walter Ray than anyone else though. He's the best player in the world. It was great for the fans, and there was a lot of drama out there."

Wiseman went on to defeat Kerry Kreft of Madison Heights, Mich., 744-566 and Marc Massie of Fort Wright, Ky., 700-567 before running into Sand.

"I came into this week knowing that if I could just win four matches, I'd be on the show again," Wiseman said. "I knew I had an advantage over everyone else since I didn't have to go through qualifying. If I can take anything positive out of this though, it's knowing that I was able to shoot the scores I did with the lanes as tough as they were. I was able take make shot after shot 95 percent of the time. Unfortunately, the other couple of shots that I threw were really bad, and it cost me."

Mike Scroggins takes high qualifier honors at USBC Masters

Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, continued his torrid pace at the United States Bowling Congress Masters on Thursday morning, easily claiming high qualifier honors.

Scroggins, who has one title on the Denny's PBA Tour, finished with a 15-game total of 3,581 and leads a group of the top 63 bowlers into match play Thursday afternoon at AMF Bowlero Lanes in suburban Milwaukee. Danny Wiseman will also join that group as defending champion.

"Now it's like a quarter horse race compared to a thoroughbred race," Scroggins said. "Now you have to get out of the gates really fast, put pressure on your opponents and try to make them make mistakes. Now it just comes down to who has the best shot and who can carry the best."

In the double-elimination match play, bowlers compete heads up in three-game matches determined by total score. By the end of Thursday's action, only 24 players will remain - eight in the winner's bracket and 16 in the loser's bracket.

"I think it's an advantage just bowling three games on a pair," said Scroggins, who typically takes part in the PBA's seven-game match play format. "When we bowl six or seven on a pair they really break down as the games go on. I don't think they will break down as quick or as much with three games, so that's an advantage."

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills, Texas, was the lone woman to advance to match play, qualifying in 29th place at 3,281. Left-hander Ken Muscato of Canandaigua, N.Y., is the high amateur at 3,408 and sits in fourth place.

The USBC Masters is the sport's most prestigious event, drawing nearly 500 of the world's best professional and amateur bowlers who are competing for an estimated prize fund of $350,000.

The Masters finals will be televised live on ESPN Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. Eastern (noon Central). To purchase tickets to the finals at the U.S. Cellular Arena, visit ticketmaster.com or call (414) 276-4545. Tickets can also be purchased on-site Saturday or Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. each day.

Mike Scroggins dominates field at USBC Masters

Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, blew away the field Wednesday at the United States Bowling Congress Masters, racing out to a 109-pin lead after 10 games of qualifying. Scroggins, an exempt player on the Denny's PBA Tour, started the day with a perfect game and cruised from there to a 2,425 total at AMF Bowlero Lanes in suburban Milwaukee.

He leads a group of the top 116 bowlers who advanced past the first cut and will throw five final games of qualifying Thursday before match play begins.

"I had no pressure on me tonight," Scroggins said. "That's why I bowled pretty well. The lanes played a little tougher but I actually bowled better. I just love going straight up the boards. Surprisingly, some lefties can't do that but it's what I can do the best."

Three-time Denny's PBA Tour winner Brian Himmler of Cincinnati sits in second with 2,316. Like all of the players at the top of the leader board, Himmler is focused on making the top 63 and advancing to match play.

"I'm just going to go in and just keep bowling good and keep the rhythm going," Himmler said. "The tournament doesn't start until match play really. It's nice to have a big cushion that's for sure. I'd rather be where I am now than chasing a score."

Of the nine women entered in this year's Masters, five made the first cut. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills, Texas, was high with 2,272 and sits in sixth place. Michelle Feldman, Shannon Pluhowsky, Diandra Asbaty and Liz Johnson were the other four women who advanced.

Left-hander Ken Muscato of Canandaigua, N.Y., was the high amateur and is tied for third with Mike DeVaney of Escondido, Calif., at 2,278. The cut score for the top 116 was 2,071 and Eddie Byrd of St. Charles, Mo., beat Dave Wodka of Las Vegas 226-217 in a one-game rolloff Wednesday night for the final spot.

The USBC Masters is the sport's most prestigious event, drawing nearly 500 of the world's best professional and amateur bowlers who are competing for an estimated prize fund of $350,000.

The top 116 bowlers advanced to Thursday's final five games of qualifying. The top 63 plus defending champion Danny Wiseman will then advance to match play starting Thursday at 3 p.m. CST.

The final four will bowl for the $100,000 top prize and a two-season exemption for the Denny's PBA Tour on Sunday. ESPN will air the final rounds live at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee on Sunday, Nov. 20 at Noon CST.

Wes Malott continues hot hand and leads in USBC Masters

Even an injury can't slow down Wes Malott these days. Despite a pulled muscle in his left leg, the top-ranked bowler in the world fired a 1,205 five-game pinfall to lead the first day of qualifying in the 2005 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters, the first major event on the 2005-06 Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour.

Malott, who has made the championship round in all four Tour events this season, averaged 241.00 in his block Tuesday at AMF Bowlero Lanes. The Austin, Texas native won his first career Tour title two weeks ago and is looking for his first career Major title this week.

"(My leg) started hurting pretty bad the last game," said Malott, who suffered the injury last week in a win over Pete Weber in the Round of 8 in the 2005 Greater Omaha Classic. "I'm just trying to ignore it as much as I can. There are more people behind me especially with this being a major, so I'm just trying to perform as best as I can."

Malott got out of the gates fast with a 245 in game one. After a 236 in game two, Malott fired a 256 in game three and a 253 in game four. He finished off with a 215 in game five to take the overall lead.

Another PBA exempt bowler Mike Scroggins, who is also looking for his first career major, is second with 1,203. Charles Callan is third with 1,164, while David Beres, is fourth with 1,161.

Pete Weber, who with a win would become the second bowler in Tour history to complete the "Super Slam," is tied for 18th with 1,128. The "Super Slam" consists of victories in the Tournament of Champions, World Championship, U.S. Open, Touring Players Championship and the Masters.

The final four will bowl for the $100,000 top prize and a two-season exemption for the Denny's PBA Tour on Sunday. ESPN will air the final rounds live at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee on Sunday, Nov. 20 at Noon CST.